Bill Text: TX HB573 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a TEXAS grant pilot project to provide incentives for students to attend certain underutilized public institutions of higher education.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-06 - Left pending in committee [HB573 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB573-Introduced.html
| 82R860 KJM-F | ||
| By: Gallego | H.B. No. 573 | |
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| relating to a TEXAS grant pilot project to provide incentives for | ||
| students to attend certain underutilized public institutions of | ||
| higher education. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 56.3011 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 56.3011. PILOT PROJECT TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR | ||
| ATTENDANCE AT UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. (a) The | ||
| coordinating board shall establish a TEXAS grant pilot project as | ||
| provided by this section to encourage students to attend eligible | ||
| public institutions of higher education that offer extensive | ||
| baccalaureate degree program options and that have sufficient | ||
| facilities, administrative infrastructure, and faculty to serve | ||
| additional students in order to reduce the need for this state to | ||
| construct additional facilities or hire additional faculty at other | ||
| institutions of higher education. | ||
| (b) From money available under Section 56.310 for purposes | ||
| of this subchapter and money available under Section 56.464 for | ||
| purposes of Subchapter Q, the coordinating board shall set aside | ||
| sufficient money to provide TEXAS grants for the 2011-2012 and | ||
| 2012-2013 academic years to students who are initially eligible for | ||
| a grant under Section 56.304 or 56.3041 in either of those years and | ||
| are attending an institution that the coordinating board, before | ||
| awarding any grants under this section, has established as an | ||
| institution that satisfies the eligibility criteria under | ||
| Subsection (a) for serving additional students. | ||
| (c) To the extent money set aside under Subsection (b) is | ||
| available for the purpose, a person awarded a grant as provided by | ||
| Subsection (b) who continues to be eligible for a grant under | ||
| Section 56.305 may receive a grant from the money set aside. If | ||
| money set aside under Subsection (b) is not available to pay for a | ||
| grant for a person awarded a grant as provided by Subsection (b) who | ||
| continues to be eligible for a grant under Section 56.305, the | ||
| person may receive a grant from the money available under Section | ||
| 56.310 on the same basis as other TEXAS grant applicants. | ||
| (d) A person awarded a grant under this section is also | ||
| eligible for financial aid under a federal program or program of an | ||
| eligible institution to the extent authorized under that program. | ||
| (e) The coordinating board shall reallocate for grants | ||
| under this subchapter or for loans under Subchapter Q, as | ||
| applicable, any money set aside for purposes of the TEXAS grant | ||
| pilot project that is not used in the academic year for which the | ||
| money is set aside. Money reallocated under this subsection may be | ||
| used at any eligible institution under this subchapter or | ||
| Subchapter Q. | ||
| (f) Except as otherwise specifically provided by this | ||
| section, this subchapter applies to a TEXAS grant awarded under | ||
| this section. | ||
| (g) The coordinating board shall develop criteria for | ||
| evaluating the TEXAS grant pilot project and, based on that | ||
| evaluation, not later than February 1, 2013, shall report to the | ||
| 83rd Legislature the coordinating board's recommendations | ||
| concerning whether to continue, expand to other underutilized | ||
| eligible public institutions of higher education, or discontinue | ||
| the TEXAS grant pilot project. | ||
| (h) The coordinating board shall include in any board | ||
| publication concerning financial aid on the board's Internet | ||
| website information concerning the TEXAS grant pilot project | ||
| established under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall adopt rules to administer Section 56.3011, Education Code, as | ||
| added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the date this Act | ||
| takes effect. For that purpose, the board may adopt the initial | ||
| rules in the manner provided by law for adoption of emergency rules. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
